Filler or form for boots or shoes.



No. 775,571. w PATENTBD NOV. 22, 1904. I. A. LEWIS.

FILLER OB. FORM FOR BOOTS OR SHOES.

APPLICATION I'ILED SEPT.22. 1903.

NO MODEL.

v In Z? .-I

mwmmn-un av Mm" mwmums mm. "a. cm "w "I".

UNITED STATES Patented November 22, 1904.

PATENT OEEicE,

ALFRED LEWIS, OF KETTERING, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO MOBBS AND LEWIS, LIMITED, OF KETTERING, ENGLAND.

FILLER OR FORM FOR BOOTS OR SHOES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 775,571, dated November 22, 1904. Application filed September 22, 1903. Serial No. 174,136. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: 4

Be it known that LALFRED Lnwis,shoe engineer, of Carrington Foundry, Kettering, in the county of Northampton, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fillers or Forms for Boots or Shoes, of which the following is a specification. In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of a filler or form constructed according to this invention, and Fig. 2 is an under side view of the same.

This invention relates to an article known as a filler or form for boots and shoes and to that class which is made in one piece and usually from fiber-board or such like material cut out and molded into the form desired, such an article having the advantages of cheapness, strength, and lightness, which is very desirable in this connection. These fillers are inserted in the goods for the purposes of display; but they have not been so largely used as they might have been, owing to a difficulty in getting them into and out of the boots or shoes to be displayed. This difficulty arises from the fullness of the filler at the heel, which prevents the article from freely entering and withdrawing from the boot or shoe.

By this invention the difiiculty is overcome, and accordingly hollow fillers molded from fiber or similar material are shaped as regards the fore part to fit the shoe closely; but at the heel, though made to the full length of the boot, they are narrowed by tapering the sides of the heel portionconcavely and bringing them into close proximity and also having the lower part of the back of the heel portion rounded ofi.

Referring then to the drawings, the fore part a of the hollow molded filler is of the usual form or shape; but the heel part b is narrowed off and made more or less wedge shape, as seen from the under side View, Fig. 2. The narrowing of the heel part I) of the filler is accomplished by bringing the sides of the heel part into close proximity to each other, thus permitting the stiffened heel of the shoe within which the filler is to be inserted to be pressed inwardly for temporarily lengthening the shoe to permit the ready insertion of the filler.

The length of the filler from the toe to the upper part of the heel atcis of the full length of the shoe; but at the lower part d, besides being narrowed, it is considerably rounded off, so that it will readily enter the shoe though the full depth of the heel is retained. The two sides forming the heel are stitched or otherwise secured together, as indicated by the dotted line. At the top the sides which are upwardly extended are bent over or shaped to form, when sewed together, a little pocket 6, which without interfering with the operation of the filler in maintainingv the shoe in correct form gives a strong and convenient purchase whereby the filler may be easily withdrawn when desired.

The heel portion of the boot or shoe rarely alters its shape, being stifiened to resist such alteration; but by pressing the sides of the rounded heel it may be caused to elongate slightly and to such an extent as to permit of the ready entrance of the wedge-shaped heel of the improved filler, evenstout or heavy goods, the heels of which are 'too stifi' for the insertion of the ordinary filler, being amenable to the improved shape.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A filler for boots and shoes composed of a single piece of stifi material bent to form a imity and also having its lower back portion I In testimony whereoflhave signed my name rounded ofif, as and for the purpose set forth. to this specification in the presence of two sub- 3. A filler for boots and shoes formed of scribing witnesses. sheet material having a naroWed Wedge-shaped ALFRED LEWIS." 5 heel portion-with upwardly-extended sides Witnesses:

which are bent over at the top and united to ALFRED S. BISHOP, form a pocket as and for the purpose set forth. A. COSTA. 

